Map

Research interests

Professor Alistair McEwan's research into the electrical properties of biological tissue will enable us to better address a range of major health challenges relating to cardiovascular disease, cancer and nutrition.

"My research aims to lead to the development of new devices to improve diagnosis and treatment of health problems.

"Understanding the influence of the electrical properties of the body can enable us to learn more about neural and cell signalling, leading to better design of electronic implants and ultimately a better understanding of how the brain works.

"I am passionate about this area of research, as I believe it can lead to new diagnosis techniques, particularly in the area of low-cost devices for home health care, which will help to alleviate the incredible economic strain of the current healthcare system.

"I have had several enquiries from family members of stroke sufferers about the availability of a portable device for stroke. Clinicians in cardiology, neurology, cancer, respiration and newborn care have also indicated that they would find the devices we are working on very useful in a range of clinical and public health scenarios. As well as this, there has been interest from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in our device for measuring newborn malnutrition in developing countries. All of this interest indicates that there is a real clinical need for the kind of devices we are working to develop.

"I have been working in this field for eight years, the past three of which have been at the University of Sydney. The faculty's interest in biomedical engineering, along with the size, expertise and interest of the Sydney Medical School, has enabled me to identify and pursue research projects of real clinical need."

Romsauerova, A., McEwan, A., Holder, D. (2006). Optimization of the pattern of applied frequencies for Multifrequency EIT (MFEIT) of the head in order to minimise scalp skin stimulation. World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 2006. Springer. [More Information]

Romsauerova, A., McEwan, A., Holder, D. (2006). Optimization of the pattern of applied frequencies for Multifrequency EIT (MFEIT) of the head in order to minimise scalp skin stimulation. World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering 2006. Springer. [More Information]